Students can apply for re-introduced basic study grant from today

Students in higher education can apply for a basic study grant for the first time in eight years. The grant for students at universities of applied sciences and universities is returning next academic year. Those entitled to it can apply at the Education Executive Agency (DUO) from Monday. The service already announced this earlier this month.

The grant amounts are extra high for the first academic year. Because of the sharply increased costs of energy and groceries, the government will give almost 440 euros a month to students living away from home. The usual amount is 275 euros per month for students not living at home and 110 euros for students staying with their parents.

If parents earn less than 70,000 euros in total, a student can also receive a supplementary grant. Since the start of this year, DUO has checked this option by default when applying for student financing. That led to a significant increase in the number of applications. Before that change on the administration service’s website, many students didn’t apply for the money they were entitled to.

According to DUO, about 435,000 students, including about 124,000 first-year students, are entitled to the new basic grant. The service launched a national campaign encouraging students to apply for the basic grant on time. Students who apply before September 1 will receive their first payment in September, DUO said.

Student organizations have fought for years for the basic grant to return and for the student loan system to disappear. The loan system was introduced in 2016. On June 6, the Dutch Senate approved the bill regulating reintroduction, making the return of the basic grant certain after the lower house of the Dutch parliament previously approved it.